Serentitel
by J.W. Cart
Summary: Serentitel, Daughter of Hedge and of the Clayr, Abhorsen and Royal bloodlines seeks to make changes in the world. AU, NickOC
1. Catching you up to speed

Disclaimer: Serentitel and Alexander are mine. (Unfortunately in the former, happily in the later). This is based on a RP I did. The Role Play ended much quicker than this, this was me wondering what would happen if Serentitel hadn't lost. Extreme AU. Nick/OC.

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**A Prologue  
**(or brining the audience up to speed):

There was Nicholas Sayre, young man who had accidentally become the host to Orannis the Destroyer. He spent most of his time being very ill, dreaming of silvery hemispheres, while being under Hedge's control. Then one day a man happened into his life. Or to be more exact a man like creature, a chaos embodiment who had once been a man, named Alexander, who spent his days wandering around the multiverse. The man discovered Nick and immediately took a liking to him, though Nick thought he was a hallucination.

This didn't bother Alexander at all, for he merely absconded with Nick and brought him to his home, which was located outside of reality in some sort of pocket dimension somewhere.

They fell in love. It was a good and happy thing for them and Alexander, using his considerable powers managed to remove the shard from Nicholas' heart and put it in an unbreakable jar. The jar was put on a shelf next to some eyeballs and Alexander went about teaching Nick all about the multiverse.

One day, a Sue broke into the house and made off with the unbreakable jar.

This is what happened next...


	2. The power of the Sue bells

Disclaimer: Serentitel and Alexander are mine, everything else is Garth Nix's. Extreme AU, Nick/OC

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Serenitiel stood on the edge of the precipice looking over the Hands work at digging up the two hemispheres that would bring the Destroyer back into the world. Her hair, long reddish brown with more waves than curls, was tied back loosely behind her and it crackled with the static from the constant lightening strikes in the air. Her eyes were a thoughtful sapphire color, bright and intelligent. She was the only daughter of Hedge, the necromancer who was in charge of this … project. But she was also so much more, at least on her mother's side. There she was descended from all three bloodlines, Clayr, royal and Abhorsen. All thanks to a bastard child of Kerrigor. A bastard child who's great grand child had a child with an Abhorsen who's great grand child had a child with a Clayr. A Clayr who had foolishly fell for Hedge. Her mother was long dead though. But she left her child with gifts of sight and a set of bells. Bells that she got from the Abhorsen's house, gifted to her by the Sendings there. Bells that she added too. Secretly, for if her father knew, he would be furious with her. An eight bell she made her self and called Yarel for some reason. It cause confusion in the listener, leaving them open to the influence of the other bells. It worked only for her.

Moodily she turned from watching the Hands work and walked back up to the tent she shared with her father. There she turned over the jar she had found. The jar that held the sliver of metal that once was in Nicholas Sayre. She remembered Nick, the poor boy from across the Wall who didn't believe in magic. But she had shown him the truth of it. And he was devoted to her, up until he vanished a few weeks ago. That had sent her father into a right row. Up until she had found the jar.

The problem was, she couldn't get the jar open. It had no lid. And though it looked like it was made of glass it would not break. It was also resistant to both Charter and Free Magic. Sighing she put the jar back and opened up one of her books to read.

She had only been reading a few minutes when footsteps broke her concentration. Looking up, expecting to see her father, she saw Nick walking towards the tent with some weather beaten stranger. Delighted at seeing Nick, she tossed down her book and leapt into his arms.

"Nick!" she cried happily, bouncing up and throwing her arms around him, "You've returned! I've been so worried about you!"

"Serenitiel!" Nick said hugging her back, "I've missed you!"

"Where have you been? Father's been in an uproar since you left. He's been positively untolerable!" she asked, snuggling into his arms.

"I've been... busy." Nick nodded and played with her beautiful hair. "It was heart-wrenching to be away for so long, I'm sorry!"

And then the stranger spoke, clearing his throat. "Okay, now that's enough with that," he said putting a possessive hand on Nick's shoulder. Serenitiel looked up at him. He looked like a man in forties but there was something wrong about him. Inhuman. He must be some sort of Free Magic Creature, she decided. He felt like one.

"A free magic creature! Where did you find him, Nick?" she asked, looking up into his pale blue eyes. Eyes that seemed so much more alive now that he didn't have that fragment in him. It made her feel almost sorry for him.

"He's not…" and Nick blinked a few times as if he was clearing the fog from his mind, "All right, who are you and what did you do to my mind?" he asked and pushed her away.

She frowned and looked frightened, looking at him and then the creature. "It's me! Serenitiel! I didn't do anything to your mind. Are you feeling well? I'll go get my father, you just wait here." And she ran off to find her father, quickly before something worse happened to Nick.

She found him by the hemispheres themselves, deep in concentration. At least he wasn't in Death. "Father! Come quickly! Nick has returned!" she called out running towards him. This got his attention immediately.

"He has?"

"Yes, he has! He's back in the tent! Please do hurry; I don't think he's well."

Hedge left his Hands and ran over to her letting her take him by the arm and drag him back by to the tent.

"Not well, how ever do you mean?"

"He didn't recognize me. It was like something was affecting his mind."

"That's not good." Hedge said, picking up speed. Serenitiel rushed with him.

"There was a free magic creature with him too. It looked like a man, but it wasn't one. It was very powerful; I think that's what's affecting Nick's mind."

They had reached the tent as she said this, and the creature was standing there with his sword, of all things, drawn, standing almost protectively in front of Nick. How very strange for the creature to do.

"I'll have to do something about it," her father said, drawing bells as he walked into the tent.

"Hello, again. We just keep on running into each other don't we," the creature said with a mock smile, but he was watching both of them like a wolf. His odd brown eyes following their every move.

"So we do," Hedge growled and swung Saraneth concentrating on the creature. A creature he obviously knew. Serentitel thought back to when Nick disappeared. She remembered her father saying something about some sort of creature with Nick. This must be that creature!

Quietly she pulled out her eighth bell and rung it, keeping behind her father, watching the creature. It was a powerful one, struggling against the will of the bells.

Nick frowned as it was happening, "Alexander?" he said worriedly, "What's wrong?"

This would never do. She slipped over to Nick, tucking her eighth bell away, and tugged on the boy's arm. "Daddy's just getting him under control. They're very dangerous."

"He's not dangerous!" Nick protested, "He's very nice." And he tried to tug his arm away from her.

Meanwhile Hedge had brought out Ranna to add a web of sleep around the creature, dubbed Alexander by Nick.

"He won't be dangerous when daddy is done with him. I promise he'll be okay." She tugged at Nick again and then, to make him move she put power into her voice, "Nick Please, come with me!"

She felt Nick obey her, mumbling, as he came, "No really, I'm madly in love with him and I don't want him hurt."

"He won't be hurt, I promise." She soothed, trying to calm him down. In love with the creature! Why… that was… impossible, wasn't it?

It didn't matter; the creature had to be bound. She remembered the white cat at the Abhorsen's house. Mogget. He had spoken to her and he was similar to this Alexander, wasn't he? Mogget had a collar around him that bound him in cat form. Perhaps she could do something similar.

She quickly imagined the Charter, looking for all the right marks she would need. Marks of binding, definitely, and powerful ones too, because he was a powerful creature. She remembered what Mogget's collar had looked like and drew the charter marks to match it. They came to her easily now and she lined them up in her mind before the final Master Marks. Stepping bravely forward, she dropped the marks around Alexander's head. They flowed through her, tingling with bits of free magic, but mostly the golden warmth of the Charter. Alexander gave a startled cry as the magic touched him and started to scramble at his neck. Power flashed around him as he did so, old power, but she held him and held the marks, forcing them upon him. The Charter would bind him. She willed it. And what she willed, she did. Slowly he started to change. It was a weird to look at. An almost melting shifting motion. He grew smaller and furrier until all that was left was a rather large and lanky wolf with scars over his muzzle and a thick leather collar around his neck. The wolf shook himself and looked like he was about to lunge, but she stopped that with a simple, "No! Sit!"

The wolf sat.

"Alexander!" Nick cried out and he went to the wolf, kneeling by it, running his hands through its fur. The wolf whined and licked at his face. He turned back to Serentitel, anger in his eyes. It frightened her for a brief moment, but she stood strong under his glare, "What did you do to him?" he demanded.

"She bound him," Hedge said, looking at her with approval. "Bound him to her service and to mine."

"No! Let him go!" And Nick leapt up to tackle Hedge, but the necromancer thrust him aside.

"Why shouldn't I kill you now?" he asked, drawing his sword.

Serentitel looked at Nick and then at the wolf and back to Nick again, "Father, don't! We still need him!" and she glanced over at the unbreakable jar. "Besides, he won't be any trouble as long as we have Zander under our control." And she pointed to the wolf. He was no longer Alexander, but something less than that, so he should have less than the name he had.

Hedge was silent for a long moment. "Very well." And he turned to walk away. "I want that jar opened by the time I get back," he said and then left the tent.

She sighed in relief, glad that she had saved Nick's life. She looked over at him, expecting to see some sort of gratitude, but she was completely ignored. Nick had crawled back over to the wolf and was hugging him and talking to him quietly. The wolf answered him back just as quietly, occasionally licking at Nick's face. She wished she knew what they were saying. Nick looked distraught.

Steeling herself, Serentitel got the unbreakable jar. "Zander," she said to the wolf.

"That's not my name," the wolf growled out.

"It is your name now. You are not who you were, so you shan't answer to that name any more, do you understand me?" She said and then waited for a reply. "Do you understand me?" she repeated when the wolf said nothing.

"Yes," he finally grounded out, his ears going flat on his head and his hackles rising.

He was bound, but he wasn't going to submit easily to his binding. She would have to be careful with that then. She held out the jar to him. "Open this."

He gave her a sarcastic look, "With what? I'm a wolf. I can't exactly open it with my hands."

"I give you permission to take your human form, but only to open the jar. Then you have to change back."

Nick went pale as she spoke, "Serentitel, please! Don't do this! I thought you cared about me! Please, if you care about me, don't do this!"

"I'm sorry Nick, but this is the only way. I know it'll hurt you, but in the end it'll be better. Don't you see; if the Destroyer doesn't come together then I'll never be able to convince him of the error of his ways. I saw me doing it, in a vision in the ice. Don't you see, I'm going to save us all!" she looked at him, hoping to convince him of the truth of what she said, but all she saw was fear in his eyes and hate in the wolf's. Again she steeled her self, putting power into her next words. "Zander, open this jar."

Zander stood up, changing smoothly from wolf to man, loathing on his face, the collar around his neck turned into a pendent. She held out the jar to him and he took it in his hands. She felt them touch her skin, as he took the jar. They were calloused and rough, the sort that a working man had, but they were also very slender and nimble, criss-crossed with scars. She wondered, briefly, what he had been before this. A swordsman for hire? Perhaps. She would have to ask him one day; later, when he learned to obey her without question.

He took the jar in his hands and glanced back at Nick. "I'm sorry Love," he said quietly. Nick's expression hadn't changed from the pale faced look he had when she first brought out the jar. He was frightened, she realized. Terrified. He honestly didn't see the importance of what was going to happen. With time he would, she was sure of it. She turned her gaze to watch what Zander was doing. Trying to see how he had made the unbreakable jar and how he was going to unmake it. He gave the top a twist. Just a simple twist and the lid came off.

"That's it?" she asked surprised, not having seen a single bit of magic; free or other wise.

"That's it," he confirmed, holding onto the jar and his human shape for as long as he could.

She took the jar and lid from him, examining both. It looked like a perfectly ordinary jar with a lid now. "How did you do that?" she asked Zander, who was now back as a wolf.

The wolf shrugged at her before lying down on the floor at Nick's feet. "I just did."

Nick knelt down to stroke Zander's back, staring only at the wolf and not at anything else.

"I'm going to get my father. Don't let Nick leave," she said to Zander. She got a growl in response, but she knew he would obey. He had to obey. Satisfied and heavy with thought, she went out in search of Hedge.

Hedge was back at the hemispheres again. Where he almost always was, directing the hands, making them work in the sun despite how much they hated it. He turned to her as she approached him. "You got it open?"

"Yes, Zander opened it for me."

"And the boy?"

"He's still there. I told Zander not to let him leave, but I don't think they'll leave each other."

"Hrnng," Hedge grunted. "Hopefully this mess can be salvaged. It went wrong as soon as that creature showed up. He wasn't effected by the bells last time. I wonder what changed."

Serentital shrugged. Perhaps her eighth bell had something to say in the matter. If it did, she wasn't going to say it.

Hedge reached down into the jar and the sliver of metal leapt up and squirmed under his skin. His eyes closed for a moment as he listened to the voice of the hemispheres, then he marched back up to the tent where man and wolf waited.

They were much like she had left them. The wolf had his head in the boy's lap and they were talking. Making plans, she figured. It would be what she would do if she were in their position. But their plans, whatever they were, would fail, because she wouldn't allow them to succeed. She watched her father; he seemed bigger now, more imposing. He wore smirk on his face as he regarded the two of them.

Zander stood up, putting himself between Hedge and Nick, his ears flat and his muzzle pulled back in a snarl. Nick had scooted back, looking around for a weapon or an escape. Serentital moved quickly to the other side of the tent, blocking of that way of escape.

"You will not harm me," Hedge said to the wolf, his voice full of power. "You will let me pass." And he walked confidently forward. Zander, instead of backing away from Hedge, submissively, like she would have thought he would have done, _lunged_ at him, teeth snapping at his neck, flecks of spit flying from his mouth. Hedge took a step backwards at this and the wolf chuckled. Zander snapped at him again, with those awful big teeth of his. "SIT." Hedge commanded.

Zander sat, but gave out this low murderous growl.

"Now, Master Nicholas, I believe I have something that belongs to you."

"You can keep it, thanks," Nick said backing away as far as he could within the confines of the tent. "I really don't need it, much better now."

"No. I don't think so. Give me your hand."

Nicholas' hand shot out in response, though she could see that he didn't want to. Her father grasped it and she knew that sliver of metal was once again racing in the boy's blood stream to his heart. Smoke began to form from his mouth and nostrils and a hand reached up and grasped something around Nick's neck, yanking it off and tossing it away. Orannis was there now and his face twisted Nick's around into a gruesome expression, the smell of free magic burning in the air.

"We meet again," he said in a rumbling voice to the wolf. The wolf stared back at him blandly.

"So we do."

"But this time you are under my control. Where are your jokes and bravado now?"

"Oh, they're around." He scratched at an ear with his hind foot. "Around and around. This is merely an inconvenience."

Orannis laughed. It was distinctly unpleasant. "No. This is how you will serve me, and you will serve me if only to protect your precious Nick. But even after he is gone, you will serve me."

Zander bared his teeth before snapping, "I highly doubt that."

"I will enjoy seeing you break."

And Nick collapsed in a faint. Zander was there by his side with impossible speed, whining and nuzzling him. It wasn't fair, Serentitel decided. Nick was supposed to love her. And he did love her before this creature show up. She would have him again. She would. But for now she looked to her father for instruction.

"His tent still stands. Have the creature take him back there and watch over him. I have work to do," Hedge informed her coldly, but there was a distinct look of satisfaction on his face. She waited until he left before ordering Zander.

"You best pick him up and carry him," she said. He looked at her with the same dark brown eyes he had as a human, full of hate. He changed though, quickly and fluidly. He picked up Nick with a great tenderness that she wished someone would show her. Cradling him in his arms, Zander whispered something into Nick's ear in some beautiful lilting language. "This way," she said bruskly when she realized he was waiting for her to tell him where to go.

Nick's tent was full of books and broken equipment brought from beyond the wall. His bed was a pallet covered in blankets. She stood and watched unabashed as Zander undressed Nick before tucking him gently into the pile of blankets, smoothing back his hair and still talking to him in that language. She wished she knew what he was saying. He then reverted into his wolf form and climbed on top of Nick's bed, settling by his side. He stared at her, as if daring her to tell him to leave his friend. No, she realized, the actions between the two of them… what Nick had said, "I'm madly in love with him", were actions of lover to his beloved.

Nick loved him. Not her. And she couldn't figure out why. She was beautiful. He had loved her before. Why didn't he love her now? Why did he act like he didn't know who she was? She stared back at the wolf. He had the answers. It was his fault this had all gone wrong. Her father had said so.

So, she would figure out what it was that made Nick love him and then she would use that to make both of them love her.

Because everyone should love her.

Even Orannis would love her.

Eventually.

She stood up from her seat, watching. "Come with me Zander."

He lifted his head up from where it had been resting on Nick's chest. "Your _father_" did he say that mockingly? "Said I should stay here."

"Come with me!" she demanded, and walked out of the tent. Nick would sleep for a good long while, she knew from past experience. She had time. The wolf followed her, his eyes gleaming in the moonlight. Back to her tent. Hers and her father's, but he wouldn't be back until dawn, if then even. She had time.

She sat on her bed and looked at the wolf who sat across from her, patiently, almost like a dog. "You're not afraid of me. Even after what I did to you."

"No. I'm not."

"Why?"

He smiled, showing a lot of teeth. "Because I know what you are."

What she was? She was human. A necromancer, for sure, but like the Abhorsen. Her charter mark was still unsullied by the taint of Free Magic. Sure she used it, but only when necessary. She wasn't like her father. Still. "And what am I?"

"A Sue."

A sue? No, a Sue. Something reviled. He spat it out like a curse word.

"And what is a Sue?"

"You are; you and your special bloodlines and powers. You don't belong here any more than I do, but at least I never tried to belong here. You forced that upon me. You eat at this world, sucking it dry. You're a powerful one. I was unprepared for that. It was a mistake I don't intend to make again."

Don't belong here. "I belong here."

"Ha! Of course you do. Daughter of Clayer, Royalty and Aborhsen." He was laughing at her, "And tell me, where did you get that jar?"

Serentitel frowned. She remembered finding the jar in a house. It was a strange house with no real door, and powerful magical objects and wards, but none from the Charter. But rooms of books and rooms of things like a museum. And yes, the jar had been there. She remembered sneaking into the house, drawn to its power. She remembered hearing voices. Voices of two men making love. She had seen them briefly, laying on the floor, before spiriting away to find the jar. "Your house," she said softly, "I remember going to your house somehow. You were with Nick, distracted, but then you came after me with a sword and I fled back here."

"Very few creatures can breach my house," he said, but she wasn't listening. She was remembering the sounds of him and Nick, together.

"I want you to love me," she said suddenly. Zander cocked his head in surprise.

"I can't. I won't. I shan't," he said defiantly.

"You will! I order you to!"

He gave a barking laugh. "You can order me to do anything you want, but you can't make me feel anything you want."

She stared at him. If that was how he was going to play it, fine. "Sit here." She ordered, pointing to the place next to her on the bed. He did so. She reached out and ran her hands through his fur. It wasn't soft, but wiry and thick. She could feel scars from hundreds of fights underneath the fur. He was stiff at the attention. Enduring it. "Change for me."

Wolf stretched to become man. But that same look was on his face. Enduring. His face was that of a man in his forties, sunburnt.. He looked travel stained. There was enough of him to look handsome, sophisticated. He was old enough to be her father, but he was also older than that.

"You are not human either," she said running her hands through his hair and up a pair of pointed ears. He shivered involuntarily at the touch.

"No. I am not."

"What are you?"

"A creature of chaos."

"Love me." She said again, pleading with him.

"Can't. Won't. Shan't."

"Take off your shirt then."

He looked at her and removed his shirt, unashamed and unabashed. His chest was covered in scars. Long scars, short scars, bites and scratches and all manner marks. She ran her fingers down his chest, staring intently at the scars.

"Love me like you love Nick."

"Can't. Won't. Shan't."

"Pretend that I'm Nick and make love to me."

His head jerked at this, his eyes widening. "Can't…" he began.

"I'm not asking you to love me; I want you to make love to me. I want you to whisper whatever it was you whispered to Nick to me. I want you to pretend that you love me as you touch me," she whispered, pulling him close by the Charter made pendent that bound him to her.

He obeyed her. He had no choice. But it was all mechanical. There was no smoothness to him, like she had heard in his house. He was gentle, but medical almost; going through the motions. And he didn't say a thing to her the entire time. When he was done, he retreated to his wolf form, after dressing. She thought about ordering him to lie with her in the bed, but decided against it.

"Go back to Nicholas," she said finally. "But do not ever take human form around him, unless I say it is all right."

Zander trotted out, subdued, and without a parting remark.

She lay in bed, naked, and thinking about what he said. About what he had called her. Sue. She would have to make him tell her more about that. There was power in the word. Power she knew she had and wanted to access.


	3. The Change of Heart?

Disclaimer: Serentitel and Alexander are mine. Extreme AU, Nick/OC

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Night turned into day and Serentitel wandered the camp, watching the Hands work. Nick was no where to be seen. This didn't surprise her. He was no longer the easy thrall that he had been. At least not yet. She imagined that after a while, Orranis would wear him down and he would be biddable again. Better to check on him. Make sure he and Zander hadn't found a way around Zander's orders.

They were walking away from the tent when she came upon them. Nick's hand was resting lightly on Zander's shoulders as the wolf ambled next to him. When she was spotted, Nick smiled at her. "Hello Serentitel! How are you this morning?"

"I'm fine," she said sweetly. "What are you doing?"

"We were going to check out the lightening trap, see how it was doing." He patted the wolf on the head, "Zander has been kind enough to keep me company." Zander wagged his tail and licked at the hand, looking like a very large puppy.

"Well he does like you," she said carefully, uncertain as to what exactly was happening. Nick was sounding like his old self.

"Yes. I'm very lucky."

Zander looked at her as Nick spoke. His eyes were filled with hate for her, but he didn't say anything. Instead he whined a little and nudged at Nick's hand, moving him forward.

"I'll see you later, Serentitel!" Nick cried, as he was pushed along by the wolf.

They were up to something, she decided at last. That's what it had to be. Which was completely unallowable. They would have to be separated. Zander would be her companion, not Nick's. He would stay by her side and be her protector. And he would tell her more about what he knew. That would be right and proper. She would allow them their last walk and then Zander would be hers.

"Tell me more," Serentitel demanded of Zander. The wolf rested on the floor of her tent with an exhausted look on his face, ears back. He yawned loudly

"I've told you the same thing over and over again for the past three days. You are a Sue. You are not from this world. I don't know where you came from. But you should be killed." That last was said with a snarl.

She had tried to get his temper to improve, but the binding spell that made him obey didn't allow her to fix his temper any. He could be as surly and sarcastic as he wanted as long as he obeyed. And surly and sarcastic and bad tempered was what he was.

"There has to be more than that. I mean, where did I come from?"

"Your mother and father had a very special hug…"

"That's not what I meant!" she snapped.

"That's what you asked."

"Arrrghh…" she stomped away from him, running her hands through her hair. "What about my power? The Sue's power?"

"You have it." He yawned and licked his chops, "No normal person from this world would be of the three bloodlines, able to be a necromancer and have a true charter mark and whatever else you can do."

"There's not more?"

"Not unless you absorb the power of the Shinning Ones."

She stopped and turned to stare at the wolf. "Could I do that?"

He shrugged, "I don't know. Can you?"

Serentitel looked out of her tent to where the hemispheres were being uncovered, thoughtful. "I need to work on something. Go… amuse yourself somewhere else. Go visit Nick."

Zander stood up with a stretch and walked out silently, his tongue hanging out the side of his mouth. She wished she could tell what he was thinking, but that face, expressive when it came to showing distain or hatred could go stiff and blank when it came to anything that may be considered enjoyable for the wolf. Drawing up marks of quiet and stealth, Serentitel slipped after the wolf. The rangy creature ambled with an easy trot, his silver fur glistening in the moon light, towards Nicholas' tent. He was about to enter the tent, but his head swung up, ears twitching. He sniffed in the air and started out of camp.

Curious, she followed. Could Nick not be in the tent? Could they be working on a way to subvert her power? They couldn't be trusted. No, they could. Zander was hers and Nick was in Orannis' sway. They could be trusted. Zander was loyal to her; she had made sure of it. They walked through the brush, up the hills and then down into a valley where a stream ran.

A dog barked out a challenge. Zander stopped and answered it with his own growling bark. There was a series of barks between the hidden dog and Zander, then a mongrel looking dog; black and tan came into view. The dog touched noses with the wolf and gave a grunt.

"What happened to you?" the dog, decidedly female spoke.

Zander scratched his ear, "Accident. I made a stupid mistake."

"Where's Nick?"

"Retaken. And it's all my fault," he said and hunched down, his tail dipping low. "But, I have information that could be useful."

"Might as well hear what he has to say." Another voice, this time male and belonging to Mogget! Serentitel stared at the white cat that came out of the brush and twined around the wolf's legs. "It may make up for his stupidity."

Zander growled and snapped at Mogget, but it was half hearted. "Best be quick about it before I'm missed."

"That sounds like a story I need to hear," Mogget said trotting off, his tail in the air. Zander followed, the rear taken up by the dog. She watched them go, trying to figure out what to do.

So, she followed them.

They crossed a stream and walked up an Island where people were camped. Two people. One who she knew, the Prince Sameth. They both looked up in surprise to see the wolf with the dog and the cat.

"Who is this?" the girl who Serentitel didn't know asked.

"Nicholas' friend," Mogget said. "The one who rescued him."

Sameth stood up and took quick strides to Zander, "Where is he! What has happened!"

Zander ignored him for a moment and sniffed the air, "Is that food? May I have some?"

"What about Nick?" Sameth asked. "You haven't answered my questions."

The wolf scratched his ears and then stretched into his man shape. He looked very scruffy, Serentitel decided, and needed a bath. She would make him take one later. "Food first, then I will tell you what happened as best I can."

The girl handed him over a bowl with something in it. He took it and wolfed it down.

"That's made of Charter marks!" Sam said, obviously noticing the pendent around Zander's neck. He nodded, still wolfing down the food. "You've been bound!"

"She forgets to feed me sometimes and won't let me hunt."

"She? Who's she?" the girl asked, "Chlorr?"

"No, Hedge's daughter."

This brought everyone's attention, even Mogget's who had been washing himself unconcerned, to the man.

"Hedge has a daughter?" the girl, a necromancer, Serentitel decided, for she wore the bandolier of bells, much like she did.

Zander put down the bowl and looked around for more food. When he saw that none was coming, he gave a sigh. "Sort of. Yes. It's her that put me in this mess. Bound me to her will. She's an evil one, worse than Hedge in some ways. Powerful. I made a mistake and it cost me everything. I didn't think she would be as powerful as she was and I knew too little about this world and its magics and wasn't prepared.

"She has put Nick back under the Destroyer's control. Everything I've done for him is lost." He hunched over, his head bowed, "He doesn't remember me, except as the wolf. Zander, Serentitel's, that's Hedge's daughter, pet. He knows that I can talk and I visit him when I'm allowed, but all he dreams of now are the hemispheres. Sometimes he has bits of memory of what has happened between us, but it is only a very strange dream to him."

Suddenly Serentitel felt sorry for him. The feeling overwhelmed her and she darted out from her hiding place into the light of the fire. "I want to help!" she declared to Sameth, the dog, the girl, Mogget and Zander.

Zander's hackles rose, even in his man shape. She could almost feel him growling "You want to help?" he said, his voice thick and sarcastic, "Lovely."

"I want to help." She repeated, glaring at him.

"Who are you?" the girl asked. One hand was on her bells the other on her sword. Sameth had his hand up in a spell casting position.

"I am Serentitel. Hedge's daughter and Daughter of the Clayer, descendent of Abhorsen and the Royal line!" she pronounced.

Mogget laughed. "This is what bound you?" he sneered at Zander. "An impossibility?"

"She's more dangerous than you know." He snapped back.

"Zander, Hush!" she demanded, and he fell sullenly silent, "I am not an impossibility. I want to help. Now who are you?"

"I am Lirael, the Abhorsen-in-waiting. This is Sameth, the Disreputable Dog and Mogget."

Serentitel tried to keep herself from glaring at the girl who dared called herself the Abhorsen in waiting. That was clearly her position. But that would have to be dealt with later. Now there was the issue of helping them. Since they so clearly needed her help.

"So how can I help?" she demanded.

Zander rose from his seat by the fire and stalked towards her, his eyes never leaving her face. For a moment she trembled, seeing the great power in those eyes, power that she had bound and was waiting to strike at her, held bristling and waiting. She tried to open her mouth to speak, to order him to heel, back into his wolf shape, but for some reason she found herself frozen in fear.

"You wish to help? Do you? Then you will listen to me and you will do what I say and nothing else and nothing more. Things have already come to head and they are rushing quickly to the end. Do you understand me?"

She nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

"We will return to camp. And we will do nothing." He held up a finger to stop her protests, "This is what we will do, to do other wise would raise suspicion on ourselves and ruin any chance that they have to succeed. We will lay in wait and at the appropriate time we will strike. Do you understand me?"

He was looming over her now, glaring at her. She thought over what he had said, it seemed like it made the most sense. At the right moment she would strike and save them all from their foolery. "Yes."

"You will do as I say?"

"In regards to this, I will."

"Good enough." He turned to Lirael and Sameth, "We should go now. Good luck with your plans." With that he slung into his wolf shape and started back towards the hole in the earth. Serentitel followed him, deep in thought.

Back at the tent the wolf laid down at his usual spot, his staring at her. She walked back and forth inside, trying to think of a plan to help everyone. But it was hard with him staring at her. "What are you thinking about?"

"How I'd like to kill you."

"Why?"

"You can't be serious in asking me that."

She knelt by him and stroked back his ears, scratching them. They flicked away, but she continued to scratch at them. "I am. I don't understand why."

"You've taken everything away from me. My freedom, my love, my life. I live at your whim. I'm forced to do whatever you want."

Leaning her head against his side, she continued to scratch at him. "I love you." He snarled. "I do. Even when you're cranky like you are now. You're the only one who understands me. You're the only one who touches me like a man touches a woman. Who listens to me. I need you, don't you understand?"

"I only touch you and talk to you because you make me."

"For now. I'm sure soon… soon you'll love me."

"I'm sure you believe that."

"Everyone will love me."

"Nggh…"

She continued to pet him, listening to his breathing and the beating of his heart. It was very still outside, except for the sounds of thunder. "I will have the entire world love me."


	4. The Happy ending

Hah, fixed this last chapter thing. BAH. Anyway, same disclaimer applies.

* * *

And then the storm broke. Not the one from the clouds, that had long since spent itself out, but the other storm; the one her father was causing, the one that would bring the Destroyer together. The one she had decided to stop. She felt Orannis' call to his servants and she followed it, making Zander come with her, but he was actually willing. Mostly, she supposed because it would allow him to be near Nick. But whoever Nick was, he wasn't any more, laying on the stretcher, passed out. Zander laid near him on the barge ride, watching him, whining and licking at his hands every once in a while. Serentitel paid him no heed.

She knew what she had to do now. She would wait until the Destroyer was free and then she would defeat him, with all her talents and all her powers, she was sure to be able to destroy him… or if need be, rebind him. In her mind she went over the spells she needed, putting together chains of free magic and Charter magic, disregarding some, keeping others. Her father was busy with the barges and let her be. For this she was glad, because she didn't need the distraction of him ordering her around.

What she really needed was power. She could feel the power radiating off hemisphere near her, power, she was beginning to think was maybe a little too much for her. Looking at it her eyes were drawn to Nick and Zander and she smiled.

"Zander, come here."

The wolf stood up reluctantly from where he was keeping his vigil and walked over to her. She put her hands in his fur and felt the collar binding his magic, his powers. He was a creature of considerable power, and from what her father had told her, he had been able to laugh at the fragment within Nick, laugh at his power and bidding. And he had been able to shake off the power of the bells too. Except her eighth bell. She would need that then.

Closing her eyes she sought the source of his powers. He shifted under her, trying to pull away, but she held fast to his collar and to him. There, it was like free magic. But not. It roiled around formless, shapeless, not bidding to any spell, but to sheer will power alone. Carefully, she built a channel between those powers and her. She made it strong, but carefully done so that the powers wouldn't overwhelm her. Slowly she opened the channel and felt power rush into her, in the heady rush she almost missed Zander gasping. Too much power though, for now. She didn't want to alert anyone to what she did, so she shut it off. The channel remained however, waiting for her to open it again.

Zander glowered at her when she released his collar. His ears were laid back and he looked like he wanted to bite her. She stroked his head. "Don't worry. This is all for the best. I promise you."

He moved to leave, but she held onto him. "No, stay with me. Talk to me."

He sighed and sat down. "About what do you wish me to talk to you about?"

"Tell me about yourself."

"I'm a chaos embodiment."

"When were you born?"

"A very long time ago."

"Tell me a story. A love story. With a happy ending." She specified a happy ending because the first time she had asked him for a story it had been horrible, ending with lots of death and blood and gore. It had given her nightmares, something that he apparently enjoyed. He sighed again, but began to tell her a story. She leaned against him, listening to his gravely voice, focusing on the sound more than the words.

She kept him with her for the rest of the journey, though he clearly wanted to be with Nick. She needed him more, besides Nick was going to die soon. He practically was dead. Better that Zander stay with her and the living.

Head held high, she crossed the wall with the wolf at her side, ordering him to attack the soldiers that dared try to stop her. She took Dead with her, at her father's request, making way for the hemispheres. When they finally cleared the Wall and Perimeter, Zander was coated with blood and gore, a mad look in his eyes. He growled low at any one approaching them.

"You need a bath," she declared when they reached the port where the hemispheres were going to go into the water and cross to Forwin Mill.

"Now is hardly the time to be thinking about baths," Hedge chided her. An odd sentiment coming from the necromancer who was more Free Magic creature now than man.

"But he's all nasty. I'll only be a few minutes, there is a stream near by and will have him wash in that."

"Very well, but be quick about it."

She tugged on Zander's collar, making him follow her. He kept on glancing backwards towards Nick. Once again unconscious, during the crossing of the Wall he had apparently come awake.

The stream was an easy hop across, but deep enough for her purposes. She sent Zander into the water to clean as she thought deeply, trying to find the perfect moment to reveal herself to the other side and defeat the Destroyer.

"At the joining," She said out loud.

"Mhrh?" Zander asked, tilting his head a little as he came out of the stream bed. He stood near her and shook off the water, sending splatters of gore everywhere, including on her.

"I will stop him after the joining," Serentitel declared.

Zander scratched at an ear, but said nothing to her latest plan. Not even a sarcastic remark. Perhaps he was depressed at the thought of loosing Nick. She would cheer him up later.

"Come on. We've got to get back to the ships. Father is waiting." She stood up, satisfied with her plan and walked back towards the port. Zander followed her thoughtfully.

Time passed slowly for Serentitel. She wanted it to happen now. But time wasn't at her command. Perhaps, and she looked at Zander as she thought this, it would be soon. She had felt that time was definitely under his sway, though how exactly she wasn't exactly sure.

She would have him teach her. When this was done, of course. She waited impatiently at the Mill, watching as the hemispheres started to join. Power built up around the two of them and the other workers had long since fled, but she didn't. She was going to stop this and then join the others in cleaning up the remains of this mess. Zander seemed unworried about what was going to happen. He hadn't spoken to her at all since the stream. Instead he stood, watching the power build up.

And such power it was. Serentitel couldn't help but watch it, desire it. She wavered from her original plan, thinking about taking the power for herself. But she shoved that aside. She was going to stop this.

Or she thought she was. But she found herself completely entranced by the power, staring at it formed around her. She couldn't move or think beyond the power before her. It was so wonderful. Beautiful even.

Then the world went white as Orannis went into his second manifestation.

At ground zero, not even Zander could withstand the destruction.

Serentitel was most certainly wiped out. She didn't even get a final word out.

Beyond the ridge, Nicholas found himself back in life after meeting the Disreputable Dog. Something was on his chest, holding him down. Blinking he pushed at it. It turned out to be a man; a very scruffy looking man with pointed ears who was sound asleep.

"Alexander!" Nick cried out happily as he finally could remember who the man was. The man lifted his head and gave him a weak smile.

"Hullo love. How do you feel?" he asked sleepily, sitting up. Nicholas stood up and saw others walking towards them. He waved to them and then wavered.

"Hurt… but… alive!" he said, collapsing next to Alexander. An arm wrapped around him.

"Works for me."

* * *

Sadly there is a sequel comeing. 


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